Ella Thorold: 'It's more than a love story with vampires'

The critics thought it was tedious, badly directed and generally mediocre. But New Moon and tedious are two phrases that should never be put together in the eyes of the twilight fans, or self-proclaimed 'Twi-Hards'.

It is easy for me to see the appeal of this film. First and foremost, New Moon contains two of the most lust-worthy male actors in the world in the form of Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob).

Both appear topless at least twice, with werewolf Jacob Black running around without a shirt on at almost every opportunity. The audience are subjected to perfect jaw lines, carved six packs and smouldering stares in practically every scene, and to my mind, this has to be a large chunk of the appeal of this film. Now don't start booing me, 'Twi-Hards', I'm sure this film means something more special than the shallow reasons I've just given, so I'll move on to those next.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon, is essentially an old-fashioned love story, which somehow incorporates attractive vampires and werewolves into the mix. It is ironic how the actors are sexualised to the extreme in this film, when the underlying theme is essentially abstinence. However, I feel that this theme, which openly clashes with today's society, is part of the allure of New Moon. In any other teen flick, two 17- year-olds who didn't have sex would be quite a novelty, but for New Moon, it separates itself from its clichéd counterparts in its genre. It is for this reason that the audiences of these books and films have such a wide age range. Young girls can watch this film while maintaining their innocence, teenagers can watch this film and allow themselves to feel the pain yet excitement of a first love secondhand, and older women can reminisce about true love.

Although a lot of the focus is on the males in this film, much credit must be given to Kristen Stewart who plays Bella, for her acting is simply out her cast mates' league.

Bella in the book is very relatable, and this again is another reason for the popularity of the books, but Stewart has managed to capture this incredibly well. She is not cool, or popular, or a cheerleader, she is simply a normal girl, and this is what teenage girls can relate to so easily. So many young girls can project themselves on to her, and her introverted, shy, unassuming character is something I feel was needed in the world of teenage cinema before it was completely taken over by the likes of Vanessa Hudgens ( High School Musical) and Miley Cyrus ( Hannah Montana), and Stewart has allowed this to happen beautifully.

To many, New Moon is not just a cheesy, teenage love story with vampires and werewolves, but instead something which they can relate to, and really understand. It's not just another High School Musical, it's a film that allows the audience to escape the realms of the normal world, while capturing the reality of a powerful first love.